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1,637,018 y 1927' N. D. BAYLEY SILO Filed June 1, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l /4 WM 7 7 INVENTOR.

gzgzf ATTORNEYS Patented July 26, 1927.

WILLIAM D. BAILEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

SILO.

Application filed June 1,- 1925. Serial No. 34,002.

This invention relates to silos, it particularly relating to silo doors the reinforcement of the door frames, means for supporting the chute and the ladder construction.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide forso forming and supporting the doors as to insure a tight closing of the doors. i I

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a reinforcement for the door frame so arranged as to utilize a portion of the bolts or other fastening devices which secure the silo sections together to also secure the reinforcement.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide improved means for supporting the chute through which the material. in the silo is discharged. 7

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the ladder whereby certain of the rungs of the ladder may be readily swung to a vertical position clear of thedoorways.

Other objects of the invention will ap pear fromthe accompanying description- Inthe accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a silo showing one of its doors and a portion of the ladder, the chute being shown in sec tion in this figure. i

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. c

V Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1 I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 3 showing a slight modification.

Fig. 5 is an elevation ona reduced scale of the inner side of the door and a portion of the metallic sheet against which the door seats, showing a modificationin the form of the door opening in the sheet.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a series of curved silo sections of sheet metal having their side edges formed with outturned lateral flanges 2 bolted together as shown in Fig. 1 and their top and bottom ed 'es formed with lateral outturned flanges 3 ilikewise bolted together by bolts 4 as section being formed with a down-turned flange3 to provide a weather shield and lend strength. These same bolts 4 likewise ,secure in position a channel-shaped reinforcing member 5 by passing the bolts through the upper flange 5 thereof. The

shown in Fig. 3: thebottom flange'of each same bolts 4 also secure in position brackets 6 which project outwardly from the silo structure and have bolted or otherwisesecured thereto side members 7 of a ladder.

One of the sheet metal sections 1 shown in the drawings has its central portion cut V away to form a door opening. In Fig. 1 this openlng is shown. formed with squared corners, but I'prefer to make the corners round- 'lng as-indicated atl in Fig. 5 as this leaves more metal in the sheet, which, together with the shape, adds strength. The reinforcement member 5 extends along the upper edge I of the door opening on the outer side of the metallic sheet and in addition to this reinforcing member 5 the-outer surface of each 1 doorwayis reinforced by a second channelshaped reinforcing member 8 along the bottom thereof and by channel-shaped members 9 and 10 adjacent the sides. While in the drawings but onedoor opening is shown it will be understood that the silo is equipped with a series of door openings one above another. If desired, in the silo construction described, a door opening may be placedin each ring of sheets and in that event the lower channel-shaped reinforcing member 8 will be attached to the outturned flanges 3 by the same fastening devices that connect the upper reinforcing member 5 of the doorway next below it as indicated in Fig. 4.

To the outer flanges 9 and 10 of the side supported in th-eeyes of straps 17 bolted or otherwise secured to the silo section 1 at the point where the reinforcing member 9 is applied thereto, the lower end of this rod 16 resting upon the upper flange 8 of the reinforcing member 8. The hinges, which are two in number. are each formed of a metallic strap. the intermediate portion 18 of which is preferably-formed on the arc of a circle whose center is the longitudinal axis of the hinged rod 16. One end.

' by the rivets 22. From Fig.2 it will be seenthat'the door is formed transversely-on the arc of a circle of shorter radius than the arcs upon which the curves of the sections 1 of the silo walls are formed and it willalsobe noted that the free edge 14 of the door is bent slightly outward so that when the doors close the edge 14" will strike V the door frame slightly ahead of the adjacent portions of the upper and lower edges of the door, but practically simultaneously with the inner edgeof the door. The door is equipped with four clamps two near the lower edge and two near the upper edge. Each clamp consists of a plate 23 having a vertical slot 24 to receive a. stud 25 which is secured firmlyto the door and is threaded to receive a wing-nut 26. The lower end of the clamp 23 is "bent at rightarngles outwardly as indicated at 27 and thence down- Iwardly orupwardly, as indicated at 28, to

, form a hook. These hooks engage the lower flange 5'' and upper flange 8, respectively, of the reinforcing members 5 and 8.v After the door has been closed sufiiciently to cause the forward and rear edgesand partsof the upper and lower edges to make contact withrthe doorway, the entire door is sprung in against the door frame by pulling the handle 29 so that the -hooks28 maybe placed over the legs 5" and 8. after which. by

manipulating the thumb-nuts 27, all of the edges of the door may be firmly clamped to the door frame, making a tight oint about the entire doorway. The peculiar-coin struction of the hinges insures the inner edge of the door beingset firmly against the'door frame and by bending the freeedge of the door as indicated at 14 this insures that'edg-e of the door being seated slightly in advance .of the adjacent portion of the i top and bottom edges so that it will remain l seated after the top and bottom edges have been drawn to position by the clamps,it'

being understood that the bent edge 14 will spring' into alignment with the adjacent portion of the door under the pressureexerted 1 the clamp, and that the entire door will assume the same curvature as that of the sections I 1. I

As shown 111 Fig. 1, that rung 3O otthe ladder which stands in front ofthemdoor is pivoted to one of the side members by the pivot pin 31"; The vertical leg of the rung, which is'preferably of angle iron construction, at its other end rests in a pocket formed by theout-turned upper end 31 of av strap 31 which is secured to the other ladder member 7. This permits this runo' of through the door.

By having the hinge rod 16 extend the full length of the door frame in connection =with the three-straps secured to the frame,

the frame at that point is further stiffened 'and braced against the pressure of the Qensila e. 7' Ilaving thus described my invention, I claim: i. 1. In'a door structure-for silos, a curved door frame,-a flexible door formed one shorter curve than said "door frame, means fOr hinging the inner edges of said door to said frame, the outer edge of said door being slightly bent toward said frame,andmeans for drawing the edges of said dooragainst said frame and locking thesame in that position.

2. In a door structure for silos, a ourved door frame, an inwardly swingingsheetmeta] door formed on a shorterourvethansaid frame, h1nges secured to the outer side of said door near the innered'ge thereof-and.

also pivoted to the outer side of said door frame to permit'the inner-edge of said door to seat closely against the inner side'of said frame, the outeredge of saiddoor being'bent slightly toward said frame, and clamping devices on said door and engageable with said door frame to drawthe edges of said door in tight engagement'with said frame.'-

3. In a door structure for silos, a curved door frame, ahinged inwardly swinging sheet metal door formed on a shorter curve than the door. frame with its free-edgesfbent towards the frame,curved hinge straps hav- 111g one end secured to the outer side of said door near the inner edge thereof and the other ends pivoted to the outside of said door frame, a series of clampingdevices on said door, each formed with a hook to engage said door frame and means for tightening the same to draw the edges of said door in tight engagement with said door frame and lock the same in that position. i i

4. In a structure of the character f described formed of'sheets of metal united at their edges, a door frame formed in one of said sheets by cutting a suitable shaped 'o ing in the sheet leaving margins surroun iii g said opening, reinforcing members connected with the outsides of said marginal portions of said sheet, and an inwardly opening door largerthan the opening so astoseat against the inner surfaces of the marginal portions of said sheet. 7 1 i 5. In a structure of the character described formed of sheets of metalxunited' at f said opening, reinforcing members connected with the outer surfaces of said marginal portions, an inwardly opening door larger than said opening and arranged to seat against the inner surfaces of said marginal portions of said sheet, hinges for said door connected with the outer side of one of the marginal portions of said sheet and its reinforcing member, and fastening devices for said door engaging the upper and lower reinforcing 19 members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sd my hand this 23rd day of May, 1925.

WILLIAM D. BAYLEY. 

